Last summer, the Great Plains Institute facilitated a project to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) through public EV charging installations in the Minnesota cities of Shoreview and White Bear Lake in partnership with employees from Cummins Inc. Both communities host Cummins facilities and were excited to collaborate on EV chargers as part of their work to advance sustainability. Cummins was looking for a project to advance sustainability in the communities where they have facilities and where many of their local employees live. The EV project demonstrated the value of partnerships in making progress on community sustainability efforts. Continue reading »
Transportation Electrification Collaborative Sends Economic Recovery Recommendations to Congress
July 24, 2020 in Transportation & Fuels Author: Brendan Jordan
Members of the Midcontinent Transportation Electrification Collaborative (MTEC) this week sent a letter to Congressional leaders outlining a suite of recommendations for how clean transportation investments can support economic recovery, job creation, and provide environmental and public health benefits. Facilitated by GPI, MTEC works to increase electric vehicle (EV) use, build infrastructure to support EV travel, decarbonize the transportation sector, and improve air quality and electric system efficiency. MTEC is composed of representatives from state government, electric utilities and cooperatives, charging companies, and environmental organizations. You can read the collaborative’s full letter below.
July 23, 2020
| The Honorable Mitch McConnell Majority Leader United States Senate Washington, D.C. 20510 |
The Honorable Chuck Schumer Minority Leader United States Senate Washington, D.C. 20510 |
| The Honorable Nancy Pelosi Speaker U.S. House of Representatives Washington, D.C. 20510 |
The Honorable Kevin McCarthy Minority Leader U.S. House of Representatives Washington, D.C. 20510 |
Announcing Powering Ahead with Vehicle Electrification (PAVE)
June 30, 2020 in Communities, Transportation & Fuels Author: Diana McKeown
Powering Ahead with Vehicle Electrification (PAVE) will provide resources and technical assistance to sixteen municipal utilities across Minnesota to educate and engage customers to meet their community’s electric vehicle (EV) adoption goals.
How to Compensate Farmers for Emission Reductions Through a Midwestern Clean Fuels Policy
June 8, 2020 in Transportation & Fuels Author: Brendan Jordan
In working towards a Midwestern clean fuels policy, there’s a great deal of interest in compensating farmers providing feedstock for fuels for the greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction benefits they’re creating on the farm. Research from South Dakota State University is playing an important role in informing those discussions. Continue reading »
Together: Putting American Land to Work to Meet Climate Goals
May 28, 2020 in Transportation & Fuels Author: Morgan Zehner
This blog is one in a series of stories celebrating the wide-variety of professionals who have been touched by the Great Plains Institute (GPI). Together – GPI’s spring 2020 fundraising campaign – showcases people who work in multiple industries and have various constituents and customers, but all play an important role in helping America transform its energy system. Continue reading »
Pilot Project Studies Managed Electric Vehicle Charging in a Workplace Setting
May 27, 2020 in Energy Systems, Transportation & Fuels Author: Maggie Kristian
The Great Plains Institute’s pilot project to study managed electric vehicle (EV) charging with on-site solar generation shows how a solar-synchronized EV charging system can function throughout the year—even in wintry Minnesota—and meet the needs of EV drivers at a workplace. This post describes the impacts of the solar-synchronized system on EVs at GPI’s headquarters in Minneapolis. The pilot project findings provide data that can contribute to discussions about building managed charging infrastructure, grid impacts, and factors to consider for future system designs. Continue reading »
Why an Ethanol Advocacy Group Supports a Midwestern Clean Fuels Policy
April 10, 2020 in Transportation & Fuels Author: Brendan Jordan
The Midwestern Clean Fuels Policy Initiative, facilitated by the Great Plains Institute (GPI), recently released a report detailing how a successful clean fuels policy should be designed. The initiative brings together fuel producers and marketers, nonprofit and research organizations, scientists and engineers, and agriculture and industry stakeholders.
Minnesota’s Forests have Untapped Economic and Environmental Potential
April 7, 2020 in News & Press, Reports & Whitepapers, Transportation & Fuels Author: Gail Nosek
A new analysis by the Great Plains Institute shows the challenges as well as the vast untapped opportunities for Minnesota’s forestry industry. Full press release is below. Continue reading »
Managed Electric Vehicle Charging Benefits Tested in Solar Synchronization Pilot
March 3, 2020 in Energy Systems, Transportation & Fuels Author: Maggie Kristian
Managed electric vehicle charging can have benefits for two different groups—the demand side (the electric vehicle owner, the building owner, the power customer) and the supply side (the whole electric grid system). This blog looks at the benefits of managed electric vehicle charging and how it works in practice, using 2019 examples from the Greenway Building (GPI’s headquarters) where charging levels are synchronized with on-site solar production. Continue reading »
Rolf Nordstrom Appointed to Sustainable Transportation Advisory Council
January 31, 2020 in News & Press, Transportation & Fuels Author: Gail Nosek
Great Plains Institute President and CEO Rolf Nordstrom will serve a two-year term on the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) Sustainable Transportation Advisory Council. Continue reading »
